Turkey GP?

[GoalsFrom50Out]

From the article in December's F1 Racing,

Hermann Tilke's burgeoning influence on the shape of the F1 caledner can be seen in these of Turkey's proposed grand prix circuit, scheduled for completion in 2005. The F1 track at Kurtköy, Istanbul, will be the eigth he's had a hand in designing.

The most notable feature is its anti-clockwise direction: of current tracks only Brazil and San Marino are 'left-handed'. Design cues around the 5.6km circuit are said to reflect Turkish culture and history. Typically for a modern-era Tilke design, the track has a high number of corners - 16 - that are expected to increase the number of overtaking opportunities.

The crowd for the first even (slated for inclusion in the 2005 calender) is likely to be massive, as were the first races in Hungary and Malaysia. Grandstand capacity of between 75,000-100,000 will be adequate for year one, but may prove excessive for later events (if other new caledner arrivals are any guide). Under the terms of the agreement reached with Bernie Ecclestone on August 29, Turkey will host a round of the F1 world championship until 2012.

The cost of the project is expected to run to $85 million over the next 18 months. Much of the cash has come from the Turkish Chamber of Commerce, as the government considers an F1 race to be a source of national pride. It's enough to make Jackie Stewart and his BRDC cohorts weep.

Intriguingly, despite rumours that Turkey was greanted a race on the promise of being tobacco-tolerant, it is thought that there will be no cigarette advertising at the track ...

 

[apollo_creed]

Whats next the Afghanastani GP